Loyal Stags and Fiery Does
by ShannonElizabeth
Summary: A drabble of little snapshots of James and Lily's relationship during their seventh year, and some other Marauders tossing their two cents in. Rated T to be safe.


"What the hell do you mean by _Potter got Head Boy?!_" Lily exclaimed, looking at Remus incredulously. If anyone deserved Head Boy, it was Remus, not James. Sure, he wasn't intolerable anymore, he'd been cleaning his act up a bit, but he still wasn't _Head Boy _material in her opinion.

"I mean just that. James got Head Boy." Remus said, shrugging. "I don't see what's so bad about that, maybe you'll start to get along."

"If I need to endure an entire year -"

"Entire year of what, exactly? He hasn't asked you out since that incident in fifth year, and he's been trying to behave around you."

"He hexed Snape!"

"I'll give you that, but since when did you care about Snape? Ever since said incident in fifth year, you've barely talked." Remus said. "Honestly, Lily, I'm sure it'll end up just fine. If there's any issues, I'll talk some sense into him."

"You'd better."

* * *

"Hello, Evans." James said, grinning at Lily out in the Black Lake. "I'm surprised you're out this late, curfew was half an hour ago. As Head Girl, you should be setting a better example."

Lily shrugged, looking out on the waters. "I'm not a saint. I like coming out here at night. Unlike some people, I don't get caught." Lily said, before looking over at James. "I'm not so blatant with my rule breaking."

"Well, Evans, I didn't peg you for a troublemaker." James said, sitting next to her. "Anyway, getting caught is half the fun. You need to take credit for your accomplishments! Why else do you think us Marauders get caught?"

"You mean you actually want to get detentions?" Lily asked, shaking her head. "Where's the fun in that?"

"Everyone sees us as the troublemakers. I'll do you a favour though, I won't tell anyone you were out here. Hell, I'll help you get back to the common room."

"Really? How can you do that?"

"I have my ways. I'm out here a lot too."

* * *

"You actually accepted a date from James?" Sirius asked, nudging Lily. "Knew you would finally go for him!"

"Oh, shut up Black." Lily said. "And yes, I accepted a date from Potter. Big deal. We're just going to Hogsmeade!"

"And you're gonna kiss, and cuddle, and James isn't going to shut up for a week -"

"Black, you're pushing it."

Peter was suddenly on the other side of her, grinning as well. "Well, Sirius, I guess James won't be going to Hogsmeade _stag_ anymore."

"So true, Peter. Now that he's got _deer_ Lily here." Sirius said, and then the two boys wandered off, laughing far more than Lily thought was necessary.

"Sodding idiots." Lily muttered. She had a feeling there was something going on that she didn't know about.

* * *

James was rocking back at forth on his feet in the courtyard when Lily walked out, attempting not to look too excited about being on a date with him. She was Head Girl, it wouldn't do to go racing at him and then chattering like a young teenager. She had spent six and a half years trying to hate him; she couldn't suddenly act like he was the best thing that ever happened to her.

"Looking nervous, Potter." Lily said, grinning at him. "Scared I wasn't going to show up?"

"Well, Evans," James began, running a hand through his hair. "You were supposed to meet me ten minutes ago, and any guy is going to wonder if their date is going to show up after that period of time. I was about to walk off to Hogsmeade by myself."

"Oh, hush. It hasn't been ten minutes. Two, tops. Now come on, Potter, before your friends show up."

"There's nothing wrong with my friends -"

"When there's only one of you lot, you're surprisingly tame. Put more than one of you together however, and there's going to be some trouble. Like stuff blowing up, people getting hexed, poor Flich losing several years off his life…"

"Don't go pitying Filch on me, here I was starting to like you." James joked.

"Please, Potter, you've liked me for ages. Let's go."

* * *

"I can't believe you're going out with _Potter!_"

Lily spun around to face her former friend. "Look, Sev, we aren't friends, so it's none of your business who I am friends with or hanging out with, much less who I date." she said, eyeing the Slytherin with distaste.

"But he's an arrogant jerkhead! You should pick someone else!" Snape exclaimed, and Lily rolled her eyes, and tried to walk away before he grabbed her arm. "Please, don't -"

"Oi, Snivellous, leave her alone!" Sirius exclaimed, racing over to them, wand drawn.

"How about you piss off and mind your own business, Black?" Snape snapped, before spitting at his feet.

"Was he bugging you?" Sirius asked, ignoring the Slytherin. Lily had to commend him for that, she wasn't sure she would have ignored someone spitting at her.

"No, he was just leaving." Lily said, glaring at Snape icily. "Goodbye, Severus." She walked off, Sirius right behind her.

"I should've hexed him." Sirius muttered, glaring behind them.

"No, don't. I can handle myself." Lily said, scowling.

"James would've -"

"And you aren't James, nor do I want any of you getting into trouble on my behalf, alright?" Lily asked, eyebrows raised. "I will handle Severus when he bothers me."

"Alright, got it Lily." Sirius said. "Still, you should tell James, because he'll be pissed if he finds out any other way."

* * *

Gryffindor had won the Quidditch cup, and the sheer amount of festivities in the Gryffindor common room was ridiculous. Lily figured she was supposed to be confiscating the Firewhiskey that had somehow found its way in, courtesy of the Marauders, but she decided she'd let it go. She felt like partying as well.

James and Sirius were in a sea of girls, all frantically going over the match. The two of them seemed to be enjoying it, and when James looked over to her, she raised a mostly empty Firewhiskey bottle in cheers. He nodded, grinning, and then went back to chatting with his crowd of admirers.

Remus and Peter flopped down on the couch next to her, both with a bottle of Firewhiskey in their hands. "Well, Lily, I'm surprised you've let this go one for so long. I'm sure there's a fair few underage drinkers in here." Remus said, popping the cork on his bottle, before downing a good lot of it.

"Yeah, you're supposed to be all rules and such, as Head Girl." Peter said, grinning and taking a swig of his as well.

"Well, you see boys, James up there is Head Boy, and I have a feeling he smuggled most of this in, so I don't see why I need to have rules and standards regarding this at the moment. I came here to have a good time, and I'm honestly feeling so attacked right now." Lily said, and she figured the Firewhiskey might've been having an effect on her.

"If you'd like, I can pull James out of his gaggle of admirers. I know it might not -" Peter began, but Lily waved it off.

"Drunk or not, James is loyal. I'm not very concerned about it." Lily said, shrugging. "Let him have his fun, he'll shoo them off soon enough."

The two boys looked at each other and shrugged.

Sure enough, James and Sirius came over half an hour later, each flopping on either Remus or Peter's lap, James slinging his arm over Lily's shoulder drunkenly. "Well, Evans, this is what I call a party, huh?" James asked, grinning. "Once this is done, we just need to Vanish all the bottles, and there'll be no evidence it ever happened."

"We, Mr Potter? I think you four are going to have a lot of work, since you brought it in. I'm going to be heading up to bed and making sure I'm not hungover." Lily said, before James kissed her sloppily. Peter let out a disgusted noise from below him, and Lily couldn't help but laugh.

Maybe it wasn't perfect, but it was beautiful all the same.

* * *

Snape was seriously pissing Lily off. Who did he think he was, cornering her between classes and begging her to dump Potter?

"Severus, leave me alone!" Lily snapped, after he cornered her in an empty corridor. She just wanted to go to the library, and he wouldn't piss off.

"Lily, please! He's a horrible person!" Snape exclaimed, scowling.

"Really, Severus? So he's a bad choice for me when he doesn't treat me badly and doesn't look down on me for my blood status?" she hissed, not caring how Snape winced. "I don't think so. I've made my choice, so leave me alone." She stormed past him, and when he grabbed her arm, she spun around and punched him in the face. At the end of the hall was James, who had been ready with his wand. She walked up to him, not paying Snape any attention, and the two walked towards the library.

"Good aim, Evans."

"Thanks, Potter." Lily said. "I think I get what you meant, that night at the lake. Sometimes, you just need to take credit for it."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't think I care if he tells anyone."

* * *

James and Lily were sitting out by the Black Lake, both silently contemplating their last night at Hogwarts. James was tearing up the grass next to him, not quite smiling, but not quite not smiling either. It was bittersweet, they didn't want it to be over.

They looked out on the glassy lake, and James finally raised his wand. "Expecto patronum." he murmured, and a misty looking stag strode out of his wand and out over the water.

"Is that why Sirius and Peter were joking about you not going stag to Hogsmeade anymore?" Lily asked, eyebrows raised.

James paused for a moment, before grinning. "Yeah, that's why."

Lily smirked, before raising her wand as well. "Expecto Patronum." she said, and a doe walked out, towards the stag on the lake.

"Well, Evans, I guess we're meant to be."

"Oh, don't get sappy on me, Potter."

* * *

Lily sat with the Marauders on the Hogwarts Express, the five of them having just graduated. James had an arm slung over her shoulder and his feet on Sirius's lap, while Remus and Peter were playing Exploding Snap, and arguing about the fate of Peter's final Potions homework, which Sirius was grinning about.

"I still can't believe you claimed a dog ate it!" Remus exclaimed. "You'd have had more luck saying you accidentally sent it to your parents."

"But we all know a dog did eat it!"

"Nope, we don't." Sirius said, smugly. "How did one get into Hogwarts?"

Peter looked like he was about to say something, but decided not to. James was laughing, and Lily couldn't help but join in. "James." she said, between laughs. "Your friends are crazy."

"Lily, I think that's the first time you've called me James."

"So it is."

* * *

**A/N: I hope you liked this little Jily drabble! I tossed it together in about an hour, and I was experimenting with the style of writing, and thought that I'd write about my OTP.**


End file.
